The invention disclosed herein relates generally to virtual postage meter systems, and more particularly to a method and system for optimizing the refill amount for automatic refill of a shared virtual postage meter.
Since the invention of the postage meter by Arthur H. Pitney, it has evolved from a completely mechanical postage meter to a meter that incorporates extensive use of electronic components. Presently, postage metering systems are recognized as either closed or open system devices. In a closed system device, the system functionality is solely dedicated to metering activity. Examples of closed system metering devices include conventional digital and analog postage meters wherein a dedicated printer is securely coupled to a metering or accounting function. In a closed system device, since the printer is securely coupled and dedicated to the meter, printing cannot take place without accounting. In an open system device, the printer is not dedicated to the metering activity. This frees the system functionality for multiple and diverse uses in addition to the metering activity. Examples of open system metering devices include personal computer (PC) based devices with single/multi-tasking operating systems, multi-user applications and digital printers. An open system metering device includes a non-dedicated printer that is not securely coupled to a secure accounting module.
One version of an open metering system, referred to herein as a xe2x80x9cvirtual meterxe2x80x9d, includes a personal computer, referred to herein as the xe2x80x9chost PC,xe2x80x9d without a metering (accounting) device, commonly referred to as a postal security device (PSD), coupled thereto. The host PC runs client metering applications, but all PSD functions are performed at a Data Center with which the host PC communicates via a network, such as, for example, a Local Area Network (LAN) or the Internet. The PSD functions at the Data Center may be performed in a secure device attached to a computer at the Data Center, or may be performed in the computer itself. The host PC must connect with the Data Center to process transactions such as postage dispensing, meter registration, or meter refills. Transactions are requested by the host PC and sent to the Data Center for remote processing. The transactions are processed centrally at the Data Center and the results are returned to the host PC. Accounting for funds and transaction processing are centralized at the Data Center.
In typical virtual postage meter systems, each user or associated group of users is paired with a unique virtual postage meter. Thus, there is a one-to-one correspondence between each user and their associated virtual postage meter. An associated group of users may be, for example, specified employees of a single business, wherein the business has an associated virtual postage meter that is accessible by the specified employees. Under this one-to-one correspondence arrangement, the user will determine the timing and amount of refill for the postage meter, and initiate a refill accordingly. To process a refill, the Data Center typically must communicate with a server that will provide the requested amount of postage funds and debit the user""s account accordingly. Users will generally try to minimize the amount of funds available in the virtual postage meter system to limit potential loss should a third party tamper with the system and steal the funds stored therein. Thus, by minimizing the amount of funds stored therein, potential exposure is greatly reduced. Accordingly, a user will consider several factors, including, for example, typical daily usage, anticipated use in the future, etc. and determine when a refill should occur and the amount of the refill.
Another version of an open metering system is known as a shared virtual postage meter system. A shared virtual postage meter system is similar to the virtual postage meter system previously described, with the exception that it is shared among multiple users. Thus, there is not a one-to-one correspondence between each user and a virtual postage meter, but instead a many-to-one correspondence between multiple users and a single virtual postage meter. Each user can maintain an account with the Data Center that will be debited when a dispense request is processed, or alternatively, other payment options, such as, for example, credit card, can be used to purchase postage funds, by each user.
There are problems, however, with shared virtual postage meter systems. For example, since the shared virtual postage meter is shared by multiple users, the system, and not the users, must determine when a refill should occur and the amount of the refill. It is still desirous to minimize the amount of funds available in the shared virtual postage meter system to limit potential loss should a third party tamper with the system and steal the funds stored therein. Additionally, from a system standpoint, it is desirous to limit the number of refills that occur, as during a refill operation the system is unavailable for use by the users and each refill takes time to complete. If the refill of a virtual postage meter were truly instantaneous and the server providing the refill functionality could process an infinite number of refills, it would not be necessary to keep any funds in the postage meter and the meter could be refilled when a dispense request is made by a user. This would keep the amount of funds in the virtual postage meter as the lowest possible level without affecting response time. Since refills are not instantaneous and the Data Center can only handle a finite number of refills per time period, it is necessary to optimize the refill amount without adversely affecting system performance.
Thus, there exists a need for a method and system for optimizing the amount of an automatic refill of a shared virtual postage meter that will reduce the risk of potential loss by minimizing the amount of funds stored therein while maintaining dispensing performance and not adversely affecting system performance by requesting too many refills.
The present invention alleviates the problems associated with the prior art and provides a method and system for dynamically optimizing the amount of an automatic refill of a shared virtual postage meter. The method and system of the present invention reduces the risk of potential loss by minimizing the amount of funds stored in a shared virtual postage meter, while maintaining dispensing performance by not requesting too many refills based upon selection of an efficient desired time between refills.
In accordance with the present invention, a desired time between refills is predetermined based on the capacity of the system to perform refills, the time required to process a refill, and the impact of performing a refill on the overall performance of the system. A refill amount candidate is then determined based on the predetermined desired time between refills, the elapsed time since the last refill and the amount of the last refill. The determined refill amount candidate is then further validated to insure that it falls within a range of predetermined minimum and maximum refill amounts. Once validated, the refill amount candidate is the optimal refill amount, and the meter is refilled accordingly.